CIO Credibility: Still Skeptical?

By Marc J. Schiller |
Posted 08-16-2011

CIO Careers: Measuring Your Credibility

What does a CIO need to be successful? We each have our
own answers. Some may say that technical excellence and knowledge count most,
others might place the emphasis on business awareness, relationships or just
hard-core ambition. Certainly, all of these are necessary to reach a certain
level in an organization. But to take the final step and be accepted as someone
who is truly a member of the C-suite, you need one more thing: influence. This
is the fourth in a series of articles on how to position yourself as an
influential leader in your organization. The first installment was CIO
Career Killer: Lack of Influence; the second was CIO
Careers: Why IT Gets No Respect; the third was "Winning Over Business Users When You Don't Have a Dime."

As you work toward attaining the level influence with
your business counterparts that you need (and deserve), you'll encounter what
may be the greatest test of your commitment. This test will require a strong
heart and a tough stomach, because your ego is likely going to take a bruising.
Have faith, because the rewards of getting over this hurdle will pay long-term
dividends.

I'm talking about the challenge of establishing
credibility with your entire IT organization, from the top of the IT org chart
to your network administrators and support technicians. While it may be obvious
to some, this concept of organizational credibility bears clarifying. Before
you can expect to have credibility and influence with the executive suite, you
absolutely must have genuine and real credibility with your own people.

Your IT organization doesn't have to love you. They don't
have to think you are the most brilliant leader in the world. What they must
do, however, is believe is that you have a good plan. They need to believe that
you know where you are going, and that you know how you are going to get there.
They need to be able to articulate and support your basic vision and strategy
for IT.

Some of you reading this are likely thinking: "What is he
talking about? Of course I have credibility with my people. They all work for
me. They are part of the IT organization." Well, here's a reality check: You
may think you have credibility with your people, but the facts tell a very
different story.

Over the course of the past 18 months, I asked 150 IT
professionals (from networking managers to business analysts to senior
directors) a set of questions with the purpose of uncovering whether or not
their boss has real credibility with them. Here are highlights of what I found:

70% of respondents could not articulate the IT strategy
and vision

54% didn't think there was an overall plan for IT

60% felt that the IT leader was too caught up in
politics

57% said that the IT leader was focused on the wrong
issues for the business

Ouch.

CIO Credibility: Still Skeptical?

Here's a simple test to further prove the point: Think
about your own personal experiences before you became the IT leader or area
head. What did you think about your boss's ideas and plans? I am not asking whether or not you
liked your boss as a person. Maybe you liked the guy who promoted you into your
current job. But, think back over your career: What did you really think about
the ideas and plans of the various CIOs under whom you have worked? Did they
enjoy real professional credibility with you by virtue of their vision and
leadership?

We all have blind spots, especially when it comes to honestly
seeing ourselves as others do. But it's incumbent on every IT leader to get to
the truth. You have to know that you have real credibility with your people,
not just corporate follow-the-leader.

I've been consulting to major corporations for more than
20 years. And I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times when a
senior executive (IT or otherwise) really knew how his/her people felt about
their ideas.

OK. Now comes the hard part: Are you willing to find out
the truth about where your credibility is with your people? Are you open to
seeing numbers like the ones above?

Have faith

Before you shy away from the challenge because you fear
the results, I have some really good news: Although your results may look a
little dismal at first, the situation can be quickly repaired. In nearly every
case I have followed, the reason for initially low numbers was due to a
communications shortfall rather than a genuine lack of belief in the CIO. Most
IT leaders simply do not communicate with their people regularly. They don't
share with their people the key information necessary to sustain their
credibility. Once they do, things turn around really quickly.

To get started on your path to credibility, I suggest you
begin with an anonymous survey of your team. To give you a jumpstart, below
you'll find the list of 11 questions I used in my study--and continue to use
today. (All questions are presented as declarative statements and answers
should be provided using a scale from 0 - 9; 0 for no agreement and 9 for total
agreement.)

I understand my IT leader's strategy and vision for IT

I can articulate my IT leader's strategy and vision for
IT

I know what the overall plan is for IT in our
organization

I know what the overall plan is for my area of IT

The IT leader is too involved in details

The IT leader is too focused on the big picture

The IT leader is too political

The IT leader focuses on the most important issues for
IT and the company

I don't know what the IT leader does most of the time

The IT leader knows me personally

The IT leader knows what's important to me

But wait, there's more. Don't ask only for a number rating; also leave room for
general comments under each question. The comments are often the best part.

What's next?

In the next installment, I'll share the two things you
can do to guarantee your credibility and win the support of your people. For
now, be brave and go for the truth. You will be very happy that you did.

About the Author

Marc J. Schiller, author of "The 11 Secrets of Highly Influential IT Leaders," is a speaker, strategic
facilitator, and advisor on the implementation of influential analytics. He splits
his time between the front lines of client work and evangelizing to IT leaders
and professionals about what it takes to achieve influence, respect and career
success. Download a free excerpt of his book at http://11secretsforITleaders